James alfeed kendall



(No Model.)

J. A. KENDALL.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

No. 353,141. Patented Nov. 23, 1886` Unirse JAMES ALFRED KENDALL, OF ll-HDDLESBROUGH, COUNTY 0F YORK, ENGLAND.

stearato aarrsar,

SPECIFICATION forming part or' Letters Patent No. fgll, dated November 23,1886.

Application filed January it?, 1856. Serial No. 188.821. (No model.) Patented in England March S21, i853, No, 1,451, and in France September 1T, i883, No, 157,599.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it `known that I, .Lines ALFRED KEN- DALL, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Middlesbrough. in the county of York, in the Kingdom of nngland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric Batteries, (for which I have received Letters Patent in England, dated March 2l, i883, No. 1,481, and in France September 17, 1883, No. 5i',5)9,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of an apparatus for obtaining electricity by means of hydrogen in a battery exposed to a red heat, and consisting oftwo metallic plates,tubes,or boxes,with a saline or vitreous or vitried substance, hereinafter called the mediuin, between them, One metallic plate or tube is exposed to the hydrogen or a gas or mixture ol gases containing free hydrogen, the other metallic surface bcing exposed to heated air or oxygen. I prefer tubes or boxes to plates. It' the apparatus be in the tubular forni, the inner tube is supplied in its interior with the hydrbgen, and the exterior tube is exposed toheated air in a flue, so that the entire structure shall be at ared or higher heat, the temperature required being determined by the materials used. As rcgards materials,the plate, box, oriuhe exposed to the oxygenating atmosphere must be ofsome non-oxidizing metalsuch as platinum or palladium. The box exposed to the hydrogen can be of platinum, palladium, gold, iron1 nickel, molybdenum, copper, or silver, all these metals being pcrvious to hydrogen at a red heat; but some of these are inferior to others, and I prefer platinum as giving the best results in my experiments so far.

The medium between the plates, boxes, or tubes can be almost any vitreous material not having a corrosive action on the metals used, or clay or cnrthenware saturated with chloride oi'sodium, potassium, calcium, or barium, a fusible silicate, alkaline, berate, or mixture of these, or a porous refractory material -such as carlicnn'are or rc-brici; permeated with vitreous matters. mentioned can be used; but they are not so advantageous.

When using layers of glass or enamels between the electrodes, i avoid as far as possible Sonic other salts than those i metal plates or layers and its passage throng the presence of metallic oxides which are reducible by hydrogen-such, for instance, as the higher oxides of iron-so as to prevent disintegration of thcinedium bythe formation ot' bubbles in its substance.

In constructing apparatus of eari'henware if select materials which nili give the rigidity necessary for the permanence of the apparatus when it is exposed to a strong'heat.

The two metailic platesorboftes can be mere films of metal electro deposited or plated ou the surfaces 'of a refractory tube of porous earthenrvare, the pores of which are illed with a more fusible vitreous or such saline substance as already described; or the medium can consist of a box formed of such materiai plated inside and out with the met-al or metals required. The two metal platesor films form the two electrodes of the battery, and are of t course insulated from cach other, being in great measure the equivalents of the zinc and copper plates ofan ordinary batteryMwith this important difference, that they are neither ot' them consumed, the hydrogen permeating them at a red heat being the body oxidized,

The production of electricity in the man ner and by the means hereinbefore described. does not,indced,admit of corrosionl of either of the metallic plates or layers by the substance used asthe medium, but depends upon thecen tinuous absorption of hydrogen by one et "l the medium, and the other plate to the oxygen to which it is exposed on its outer surface, the Whole being kept at a red. heat or at u higher temperature, so as to enable the hydrogen to penetrate the materials employed, the nie diurn at a red heat, though el he; arise not necessariiy a goed conductor, 4inning a goed conductor by thehydrogcn pa ufr lhroun t rEhe apparatus is sus` ble variation; but a form best in practice is set forth in. the drawing hereunto annexed.

The figure represents a lougitrnlinal secr i of a cylindrical furnace for a battery of four cells arranged in a circle, the section being through the centers ot' two cells and through the center of the group and. apparatus generally.,

is the Wall of the furnace, preferably or" vIO s sealer iirebrick', B, nre-clay top disk with holes for cells; C, lower disk, of saine material; D, centrai flue, up which heat passes from fire at P, as shown by arroivs. rIhe fire at? may be a series of gas-jets or other furnace. E are tubes 'of nre-resisting porcelain; F, platinum tubes,

preferably furrowed or corrugated longitudinally; G, inner platinum tubes, plain or furrowed; H, earthenvvare disk for holding the inner tubes, and provided with a metal plug, Q, for sliding up and down iron rods L L, and adjustable therein by set-screws or other- Wise; I, tubes for conveying hydrogen gas to bottoms of cells; J, exit-tubes for Waste gas; K, conductors for electric currents; L, three iron rodsttwo only are shown in drawing) upon which lQslides. A central tube of single larger heat.

diameter might take Vthe place of the three; M, small metal diskeuibedded in dislrB. Into this disk M the rods Lare screwed. N are exits for heating-gases from furnace; 0, holes to allovvatmospheric air to come in contact with the outer platinum tubes, P, opening from furnace between platinum `tubes F and G. The vit reous or saline material already described as the medium is added, either in theliquid state or is fused inpplace by submitting it to intense rThe porcelain tubes E are simply used to protect the cells and equalize the heat and prevent the furnacegases from adulterating the air supplied to the outer outer platinum tube.

The effluent gases both from the flue and from the cells leave the apparatus at a high heat. I therefore use them for hea 'ng the air used in the apparatus on the regenerative principle, the gases passing through one chamber of the regeuerator in one direction While the air is passing through the other chamber in the opposite direction, as in` ordinary practice on a large scale the heat of the Waste gases difficult to ascertain; but Whether we assume the presence of H.,G or not, the fact remains" that currents of electricity of considerablepovver can be produced in this way.

The metal tubes may be considered as filters which allow the hydrogen to penetrate, while other gases 'are prevented from passing, and can be used -as fuel.

It will be seen that this method of Working is quite different in its plan from all forms of carbon batteries in which it is attempted to v burn carbon in contact with an electrolyte;

also, it differs from all batteries in which a surface of the red heat is used, and in which one of the metallic electrodes is gradually dissolved by the salt used. In such acase evidently the salt will by degrees become inert, While the metallic electrode will have become corroded away.

I claim as my invention- 1. The apparatus for generating electricity, consisting of the combination, substantially as set forth, of two metallic electrodes, a saline or vitreous substance between them adapted to be permeated by heated hydrogen, and an ingress for heated gases.

2. In an apparatus for generating electricity, the combination of a pair of metallic elec trodes, F G, and a solid mass of material, such as described, separating the electrodes, the Whole being permeable by hydrogen at a red heat or the heat employed.

3. In an apparat-us for generating electricity by means of gases, an electricitygenerating metallic medium, such as described, Within` the electrode, a central tubular electrode, and means for supplying the inner surface of the same With free hydrogen, all substantially as described.

6. In a battery, the combination ofthe fun nace-liuc D, for supplying highlyheated gaseous matter to the upper part of the battery, a series of cells, an outer iiue surrounding the cells for receiving said highly-heated gaseous matter and delivering it at the bottom. 7. In a battery, the combination of the air passage 0, thesuspended cell F, means for applying furnace-heat, and a porcelain tube and intervening air-space separating the cell from the source of heat.

8. The hereinbefore described method of generating electricity, which consists in supplying heated hydrogen or mixture of gases containing uncon'ibined hydrogen to a mate rial permeable by heated hydrogen, and in causing such hydrogen to pass from one tothe other electrode ofthe battery and preventing the passage of other gases.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

I. A. Bannion, K. E. Beunrox.

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